Automated design of integrated circuits utilizes computer-based simulations that incorporate models of the elements contained in the design. The accuracy of the underlying models thus has a significant impact on the confidence of the simulation results and on the design as a whole. An element included in a circuit design may be a bond pad.
An integrated circuit bond pad is the physical interface between the internal wiring and circuitry of an integrated circuit chip and external devices, such as a package or printed circuit board. An accurate model for the bond pad is important in obtaining first-time-right designs, e.g., designs that behave as predicted when they are physically manufactured. Computer-based models of bond pads (e.g., pad models) are commonly based on the assumption of a single signal port, e.g., the input and output of the pad are modeled as a single instance. This approach works well at low frequencies, but breaks down at high frequencies (e.g., millimeter wave and higher) since the single port model does not account for propagation along the pad and also fails to adequately account for parasitic inductance and resistance.